Namgung Clan Estate
Each time the wind brushed past, gentle ripples spread across the pond’s clear surface.
Birds would land along the edge to drink, then take flight again, drawing graceful arcs through the air.
There was nothing especially remarkable about it beyond the fact that the pond had been arranged with considerable beauty, yet Seomun Hwi stood there, transfixed, staring at the scene as though he had lost himself in it.
"Even the Tang Clan wouldn’t poison a pond."
At the calm voice, he turned his head and saw Dang Sohye approaching with elegant poise.
"That thought never crossed my mind."
To be honest, it had flashed through his head for a moment, but what good would it do to say so?
Seomun Hwi remained composed, and Dang Sohye slowly nodded.
"I was joking. Was it funny?"
"Yes. Quite funny."
His mouth did not so much as twitch, betraying the lie in his words, but it was not worth worrying about.
"I have never once failed to make someone laugh. I succeeded again this time."
It was precisely her shamelessness that was her greatest strength.
"Men naturally laugh without reason when they see a beautiful woman."
But Seomun Hwi was no easy man to corner either.
When he replied in a roundabout way that it was not her joke that had amused him, Dang Sohye met his gaze with eyes that gave nothing away.
"The same would apply in reverse. I do find it rather pleasant to be with you, Young Master."
She returned his words to him as they were, the corner of her mouth lifting ever so slightly.
"...I suppose I am known in Anhui as a man who can make people laugh."
"Really? I always thought Bi-yeon was the funniest man in Anhui."
Of all things, to mention the young master of the Namgung Clan, with whom Seomun Hwi’s own relationship was far from warm, while speaking to the young master of the Seomun Clan.
If anyone else had done it, he would have at least shown some discomfort, but in this case he could hardly object.
"...As they say, the elbow bends inward."
The young master of the Namgung Clan, Namgung Bi-yeon, was none other than Dang Sohye’s cousin.
That was why, when he had first heard that a marriage proposal had once been raised between himself and Dang Sohye, the memory of his surprise still flickered faintly in his mind.
"Are you upset because I praised another man?"
Since she was of the Tang Clan, famed for controlling myriad poisons, perhaps she even had venom techniques hidden in the tip of her tongue.
Watching Dang Sohye pretend innocence while never losing a single exchange, Seomun Hwi let out a soft, wry chuckle.
"I only think it is admirable that you cherish your blood kin. By the way, I wonder when I might see the clan leader? I think I should be heading back to the estate soon."
"Ah."
Only then did Dang Sohye widen her eyes slightly, as though she had just remembered something.
"Father went to the Namgung Clan Estate in a hurry. Before he left, he asked me to be sure to tell you that he was sorry, Seomun Hwi."
"...To the Namgung Clan Estate?"
Though he was only a young master, he currently stood as a representative of the Seomun Clan.
Even if this was Sichuan, was it truly acceptable to leave for the Namgung Clan Estate without a single word, unless they were deliberately looking down on him?
"Yes. An urgent message arrived last night. It seems that after Mount Hua and Zhongnan, the Namgung Clan has also returned to the Alliance Leader’s side."
At Dang Sohye’s unexpected words, Seomun Hwi’s already hardened expression twisted sharply.
The Namgung Clan had practically remained sealed off for nearly twenty years.
And now, after all that silence, they had suddenly broken it and declared for the Alliance Leader?
He did not want to admit it, but the Namgung Clan might well have wielded the greatest influence within the Orthodox Faction after Shaolin.
It was only because that clan had kept silent that the balance had barely been maintained.
If things continued this way, then for the Seomun Clan it was no exaggeration to say that the unease they had feared most had finally burst open.
As Seomun Hwi’s gaze wavered, her fingertips gently caught the edge of his robe.
"Since Father went himself, I’m sure nothing will happen. No matter how much it’s the Namgung Clan, they can’t simply ignore the Tang Clan."
The Tang Clan head, who almost never left Sichuan, had moved in person.
That did offer some reassurance, yet if one thought about it the other way around, it only meant that the situation was that much worse.
"I don’t think I can stand idly by like this. If only I could go back now..."
"Don’t be impatient. Just focus on what you need to do."
"...?"
What else was there for him to do besides return to the estate now?
When he gave her a puzzled look, Dang Sohye lightly tapped his chest with one finger.
"You should stay here and maintain a good relationship with me, so the Tang Clan continues to stand with the Seomun Clan, shouldn’t you?"
It was true that if even the Tang Clan were to follow the Namgung Clan’s example and turn, the Seomun Clan would be pushed right to the edge of a cliff.
Even so, hearing it so directly from the person herself left a rather strange feeling in his chest.
"You had intended that all along?"
This time, Dang Sohye smiled in a way that made it impossible to tell what she was thinking.
"A little."
She was more beautiful when she smiled, and yet Seomun Hwi found himself overlaying that smile with the face of someone who had been drifting through his thoughts lately.
So that’s who she reminds me of. Seeing her smile, I think I finally understand.
---
At the far edge of Mount Jingeum, Im Cheongwol and Ak Seo-ah, now fully prepared to set out again, were exchanging farewells under the eyes of the others.
"It feels as though we’re leaving after only imposing on everyone."
Ever since the day they had first spoken, Cheongwol had spent intermittent time with Jeonghwa, and perhaps because of that growing familiarity, she could not hide her reluctance.
"Isn’t that what this place was built for? Don’t mind it."
Jeonghwa had understood her feelings all along, and answered with a kind smile.
"I hear you’re going to the Tang Clan."
When Mataesang, who had been watching quietly from the side, asked the question, Cheongwol gave a small nod.
"Yes. I have something I need to do."
"I don’t know what it is, but if Seo-ah goes with you, she’ll be a help."
When Mataesang turned and looked at her, Ak Seo-ah reached into her robes and showed him the clan leader’s token.
"I’ve kept it safe."
"Good. I’m relieved."
...So that was real after all.
Now that she knew the clan leader’s token was genuine and not a forgery, Cheongwol felt a little embarrassed.
"Seo-ah."
As though something had struck him while listening to what had passed between them during the martial competition, Mataesang called her name with a somewhat somber expression.
All the things he had dismissed by saying he loved both children equally had, in the end, left deep wounds in everyone—especially in Ak Seo-ah.
He had no expectation that a few paltry words now could earn forgiveness.
Even so, he could not simply let his mistakes stand without trying to mend them.
"There are things I’ve done to you all this time..."
The moment Mataesang opened his mouth, Ak Seo-ah stepped forward without a word and hugged him.
"Uncle. You’ve had a hard time of it."
"..."
"I don’t know about the others, but I know. The one who suffered the most between Ji-ho and me was you, Uncle."
She should have been angry. She should have scolded him. Instead, why was this kind child embracing the very man who had stood by and let things go so far?
"I won’t give you any more reasons to be hurt by me. So please, treat us siblings as you did before. Will you do that for me?"
Just as she had been in childhood, smiling brightly while cradled in his arms.
Mataesang gently stroked Ak Seo-ah’s hair as she looked up at him and smiled.
What had begun as a plan for them to stay only a month as guests had somehow stretched into a year.
Then it became, until the twins were born.
Then, until Ak Seo-ah’s illness was cured.
Little by little, the stay had grown longer, until now they were being told, outright, not to leave at all.
Even without saying so, even knowing perfectly well that he could not have left now if he wanted to.
"Whose request would I ever refuse?"
While the two were sharing their reunion, Ak Jiho came limping over from not far away.
They had clearly been told it would take at least a month before he could walk again, but it seemed he had forced himself out of bed just to see his older sister.
"I told you not to come out and to lie down."
Ak Seo-ah looked worried at the sight, but Ak Jiho ignored her completely.
"It’s family tradition not to listen to anyone."
He cupped his sister’s cheek lightly in his hand, then cast a sidelong glance at Cheongwol.
"Don’t rely on Cheongwol so completely. Before you act on anything, think twice, three times. Understand?"
"...I’m not a child, you know."
"I’m worried, that’s all. When you’re done with your business at the Tang Clan, where will you go? Wherever it is, tell me in advance. And if not that, then at least send letters regularly."
At his nonstop lecturing, a faint smile touched Ak Seo-ah’s lips.
"All right. I haven’t decided where I’m going yet, so I’ll send you letters. You’re the one who needs to take care of yourself, too."
"...I’ll be fine on my own, so you take care of yourself. Remember what I said."
After finishing, he turned back to Cheongwol.
"Cheongwol. Please take good care of my sister. She may be a little lacking in common sense, but she’s my only precious sister."
Cheongwol understood his feelings well, and smiled faintly.
"Don’t worry. I won’t let her go around getting beaten up anywhere."
---
As the two figures gradually receded into the distance, Mataesang let out a soft breath of relief.
"If that boy had been in Shaolin, they would have surely raised him with great care. It’s fortunate that such a child became connected to our Seo-ah."
"Indeed. Thanks to that, I’ve been able to make up my mind as well."
"You mean..."
"Shaolin is surely watching that child from somewhere. And yet they let her be for all this time. There can only be one reason for that. If Shaolin has resolved itself, then Amisan must be of much the same mind. If we are to carry on the Buddhist lineage together, should we not be of one mind?"
At Jeonghwa’s words, a spark of vitality returned to Mataesang’s face after a long time.
"...Thank you. The clan leader will be greatly pleased to hear that Amisan will stand with us as well."
"You flatter me."
Just then, as the two were busy praising each other, Ak Jiho spoke up carefully.
"...A disciple of Wudang? Who are you talking about?"
Mataesang frowned slightly and looked at him.
"Who else would it be? You saw Cheongwol’s martial skill with your own eyes and still failed to recognize it was Wudang’s?"